


The After Effect

by JayTheSaltyBastard



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Body hate, Crying, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, lloyd is hurting, zane is best boi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:28:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25427677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayTheSaltyBastard/pseuds/JayTheSaltyBastard
Summary: Takes place after s2ep5, "Child's Play"The after effect of Lloyd's sudden transformation into a young adult and how it affects the way he thinks of himself
Relationships: Lloyd Garmadon & Zane
Comments: 5
Kudos: 63





	The After Effect

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rina_Calavera](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rina_Calavera/gifts).



> Wrote this at 2 am last night to vent so here

Lloyd stared at himself in the mirror.

Except... he thought it was himself. He did not recognize the boy- no, the  _ man _ before him.

Red eyes stared, red eyes stared back. They were familiar, the only thing that was on this strange new person.

Perhaps ‘man’ had been an exaggeration, the person before him was definitely a teenager, fourteen, maybe fifteen, with long blonde hair. The same color as Lloyd’s hair but it was too long to belong to him, right?

No, that was Lloyd standing in front of him, hunched over in the same position. Red stared at red and Lloyd knew that was himself because who else in Ninjago had red eyes and blonde hair and could control energy itself? No one, only Lloyd could do that and this strange person in front of him could do the same.

So what now?

Lloyd grit his teeth, finally tearing his eyes away from his reflection as he put his hand over his eyes. He wanted to cry so badly but he was older now and that just wasn’t okay. Was it? Was he still allowed to cry? Less than twenty-four hours ago he’d been ten years old and now he was fifteen, what in the world did that mean? Since he was still mentally ten was it still okay? He’d been told his whole life that boys didn’t cry, didn’t show too much emotion, yet here Lloyd was unable to stop feeling hate for himself and for his new body. A body that was too big, too bulky. Where had his comfortable babyfat gone? Why was he all lean muscles and six-packs now? He knew why but he didn’t want to believe it.

Lloyd turned away from the mirror, sliding down to lean against the cabinet. He pulled his knees to his chest, burying his head in his arms on top of them. Slowly, the tears built up until he couldn’t take it anymore. He could feel them slipping down his cheeks and he couldn’t help but feel relieved to finally let them out; whoever said boys couldn’t cry could go screw themselves.

Time passed, Lloyd wasn’t sure how long but he must have dozed off because he was suddenly being shaken awake by cold hands.

“Lloyd.”

Lloyd looked up, glad to see that it was Zane instead of any of the others. If Kai had seen his tears he would have freaked out and Jay would have been too uncomfortable to do anything useful (Lloyd loved the guy but he wasn’t very emotionally competent). Cole... Lloyd wouldn’t have minded Cole but the big mountain of a man would’ve pried more than Lloyd was comfortable with.

“Are you alright?”

Lloyd nodded.

Despite the doubtful look in Zane’s eyes, the nindroid returned the gesture. “You should get to bed, it had been a long day.”

Again, Lloyd nodded. That was one of the reasons he was glad it was Zane, the white ninja didn’t pry or ask too many questions; he allowed Lloyd his privacy and the green ninja was thankful for that.

“Yeah, I should.”

His voice was slightly scratchy, but Zane didn’t comment. The nindroid helped Lloyd stand and, when Lloyd didn’t let go, held the youngest ninja’s hand as they walked back to his room.

Lloyd laid down on his bed, letting out a small sigh as he did so. From the corner of his eye, he saw Zane move to tuck him in like the ninja would do when Lloyd was... smaller, but the nindroid hesitated.

“Goodnight, Lloyd,” the ice ninja said eventually, making to leave. Lloyd caught his wrist before he could.

“Could you...” Lloyd licked his lips, his mouth dry. “Could you tell me a bedtime story.”

For a moment, Zane was quiet and Lloyd was afraid he’d refuse, but then his brother nodded and Lloyd couldn’t help the wave of relief he felt.

“What would you like to hear?”

It was a rough day, Lloyd knew that. He wanted to be a kid again but he couldn’t and now he had to live with that.

Deep down, Lloyd was still upset with how everything had turned out, but he knew eventually it would be okay.

All he had to do was figure out how to get his stupid body to work first.


End file.
